


Under Observation

by lost_spook



Category: New Tricks
Genre: Collection: Fandom Stocking 2014, Ficlet, Gen, Stealth Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 16:53:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3141776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_spook/pseuds/lost_spook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brian's got his eye on something strange.  Esther, meanwhile, is in search of a cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Observation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Liadt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liadt/gifts).



“Or there’s Mrs Alcott’s missing Siamese,” said Esther, before pausing. “Brian, are you listening to me?” Silence indicated that the answer was probably no. “ _Brian_.”

“Just watching this old police box across the road,” Brian said. “I’ve been taking notes.”

Esther had to glance out the window herself, because she was fairly certain there hadn’t been a police box anywhere near the house last time she looked. She also sighed a bit, because whatever it was, it didn’t sound like a case that would pay, unlike Mrs Alcott and her lost cat, and Esther had hopes of some new carpet for the landing. “A police box? I didn’t think they had them any more.”

“They don’t,” said Brian, jotting something else down in his notebook; she couldn’t make out what it was, even when she peered over his shoulder. “And they don’t just appear. Not the sort of thing the force runs to, is it? That’s the thing, Esther – it shouldn’t be there!”

Esther shrugged. “Well, in that case, it must be some sort of joke.”

“Funny sort of joke, if you ask me. I don’t get it.”

Esther had to admit she didn’t really see it, either. “But it must be something like that – students, maybe.”

“It’s a pretty convincing copy,” Brian said, and then looked at her, pulling his glasses off, and lowering his tone. “And you know something else? When I went up to it earlier to investigate, it _hummed_ at me.”

Esther blinked. “Hummed?” she said, and gave Brian a close look. “Brian, you have taken your medication, haven’t you?”

“Course I have. It wasn’t humming musically – I mean, humming like there was some sort of machine inside. Almost like it was alive. Worrying, don’t you think?”

Esther glanced back at the window. “It must be some sort of prank. Shall I phone the police and see if they’ll take it away? One way or another, it’s theirs, after all. And then we can go and see Mrs Alcott, can’t we?”

“I think I’d rather keep it under observation for a little while longer,” said Brian, picking up a pair of binoculars.

Esther went off to ring Mrs Alcott and arrange a visit to see her, and then, in resignation, went out to the back garden to get the washing in. By the time she came back, much to her relief, the police box had gone.

“It vanished again,” said Brian, in one of his excitable moods. “There were some people hanging about it – very odd looking bunch – a tall man with a hat and a scarf that was too long, with a girl not wearing very much and a little robot dog. So I nipped upstairs to get a better view with the binoculars, and by the time I got up there, they’d all gone, and so had the box. In only one minute and thirty-seven point five seconds!”

Esther wasn’t sure what to say to that, other than to ask again if he was absolutely sure he had taken all of his medication today, but that seemed a little unfair, when the box clearly _had_ gone. “Oh, well,” she said. “If that’s done with, perhaps we could talk about Mrs Alcott’s cat. She is very worried, you know. It’s not only valuable; it’s her only companion these days.”

“Esther, I’m talking about the impossible happening right under our noses, and you want to talk about a cat?”

Esther thought about that, and eventually said, “Well, Brian, it seems your mysterious box can look after itself, but poor Puddles can’t.”

“Puddles?” said Brian, after a pause. “Why’d you call a cat _Puddles_? Not the sort of elegant name you’d expect for a Siamese, is it?”

Esther laughed. “Well, I hope it’s not for the only reason I can think of. And at least it’s not Fluffy.”

“I suppose,” said Brian, putting his notebook down reluctantly, “we ought to do something about it. Cold night for a pampered pet like that to be out.”

“Exactly,” Esther said. “Now, do you want to hear all about it?”


End file.
